Georgia makes starters out of backups

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer

Thursday

Sep 27, 2007 at 11:30 PM

ATHENS - Brandon Miller is the first to admit he had an "average game" in Georgia's 16-12 loss to South Carolina on Sept. 8. Because of it, the senior starting strongside linebacker became the backup strongside linebacker the following game against Western Carolina.

"It lit a fire under me the whole week," said Miller, who responded by tying for the team lead in tackles that next game and regaining his first-team job.

Miller's demotion and then promotion came in a season when Georgia coaches have made a habit of switching up their starting lineup at several positions and turning to their backups early and often. The result is second-string players can get nearly as much work as starters and last week's backup could be this week's starter.

"It keeps you on your toes," Miller said. "There's no permanent starter. Even if you had a bad game, you've got to come back next week and forget about it and go on. That makes you a better person, a better man, a better all-around guy."

On a team that didn't have a single player picked by the media as preseason first-team All-Southeastern Conference, there's not much separation between starters and backups at several spots.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said his team has more quality depth now than probably at any time in his seven seasons in Athens.

"I think we've subbed better than we have in a while," Richt said. "The majority of our team has enough depth that we are able to substitute and when the second-team guy goes in there, he can play as good as the first team in many cases."

In the first four games, five different linebackers have starts and Georgia is likely to start its fourth different cornerback of the season Saturday against Ole Miss.

"I think we've kind of proved that everybody's job is up for grabs," Richt said. "Who's going to practice the best, who's going to play the best? That's what it comes down to on a weekly basis. That should be very healthy for us, good for the team."

There hasn't been a change of starters on the defensive line, but there is still plenty of substituting as players are rotated at defensive tackle and defensive end.

"We've got a young group and we've got some young, talented kids that we have to get on the field," defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. "There's a lot of inexperience and it shows. They make mistakes. Hopefully they can continue to learn and get better, but they're only going to get better if they get on the field."

On offense, back-up tailback Knowshon Moreno has 10 more carries than starter Thomas Brown and 129 more yards. Wide receiver Tony Wilson started the first two games of the season, but seven players on the team have as many catches as he does.

"If you know you're going to play, you tend to practice better," Richt said. "When you sub, better morale, better chance of keeping everybody healthy, better chance of keeping everybody fresh. It's even exciting in recruiting to be able to say, '`Look how many guys we play.'"

Last season, linebacker Tony Taylor and cornerback Paul Oliver started every game as did safeties Tra Battle and Kelin Johnson and defensive ends Charles Johnson and Quentin Moses.

Georgia has fewer players this year that can be penciled in every week as the sure-fire starter.

"If you're the man, people don't even think about taking your spot," sophomore cornerback Asher Allen, who moved into a starting role after two games. "That obviously tells us that we have small stuff that we have to do. That puts the challenge up to us of 'who can be the man?' that the spot doesn't get taken."

Jeff Owens and Kade Weston have started every game at defensive tackle, but backup Geno Atkins is getting plenty of work too. Atkins said Owens got about 44 snaps against Alabama and that he and Weston got 30-something snaps.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Akeem Dent went from his first college start against Western Carolina to eight snaps against Alabama when Georgia played plenty of its nickel package.

The battle for playing time is intense, Dent said, with players trying to show in practice they should move up the depth chart.

"It's really intense," Dent said. "I just play my role and play hard every week. It's a lot of competition. Each and every day we go out and compete. Anytime could be your day."

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